Chapter 39: Kiss Your Neck

"Kiss

Kisses

Kissing

Kissing you

Kissing the life out of you

Kissing you until i can't breathe

I'll take one of each please"

-Fabian 2 Jaimie-mae

"Woah, how many times are you gonna call?" Kano asked through a mouth full of his burger. "I didn't peg you as the clingy type Jaimie."

Jaimie-mae looked up from her phone and glared at Kano. "I'm not... clingy."

Her face fell when she noticed that she was acting a bit clingy. She groaned in frustration. She didn't like when people got clingy, especially people in relationships and here she was being a hypocrite.

"Kano, i don't know what happened. I'm scared."

"Scared?"

She nodded as she rolled a couple of grapes around in her container. "Yeah. I had this dream that Fabian got shot and it scared the poo out of me. I just have to know that he's alright or else i'll go crazy worrying about him. I don't know how to make it stop."

"Yikes. I don't really know a way to help. But was it just a nightmare?"

She shook her head.

"Your PTSD?" He asked quietly.

She nodded.

"Maybe if you talk about it, it won't be so bad."

"No! You don't understand. It hurts me to relive this all the time. Talking about it just makes me relive it more. I'd rather not have to deal with it as much as i can. Whatever stress free moments i can have, i'll take them," she exclaimed.

"Okay. Sorry," he said as he dropped his gaze to his burger.

"No Kano. I-im sorry. Please, i-i didn't mean to get angry with you." She groaned and hit her head against the table. "I've been getting really moody recently and it's not good."

Kano looked up at her. "It's cool."

"No it isn't. I think i need to go to therapy again," she mumbled.

"I thought you said therapy wasn't working for you?"

"It wasn't. But it might work this- oh why do i even bother? Therapy is a waste of my time."

Kano shook his head and ate the last peice of his burger. "You're not eating again?"

Jaimie-mae looked at her food that was barely touched. She hadn't noticed she'd been doing that.

"Hey Kano? You wanna know something?"

"Sure."

"I'm gonna tell you what happened to me but you gotta promise to keep your mouth shut."

Kano's eyes widened when he realized what she meant. He eagerly nodded. "Yeah of course. I promise."

"Wait. If i do this, you gotta do something too."

"Okayyy," he said unsurely. "Like what?"

"You gotta tell Arabella you like her."

He choked. "Wh- i don't l-"

"We both know that's a lie. I tell you what happened to me and you tell Bella you like her. I know it may seem hard, but she doesn't really like Malakai. She's just using him as a second option because she thinks she can't get you. She's using Malakai and that's not cool."

Kano furrowed his brows. "How do you know that?"

"I observe and think a lot."

"Oh okay. I'll tell her. So what happened to you?"

"Um, i-i moved schools because at my last school there was a... shooting. My bestfriend and three others got shot right in front of me and it's messed with me ever since."

Kano was silent for a few seconds, digesting the information. "Wow. I wasn't expecting it to be that... messed up. I'm sorry."

"Yeah," she breathed out.

Her anxiety spiked up again and the worry set back in. She couldn't seem to tame her sudden sparactic emotions. She was starting to question herself.

She didn't seem to know where to go. She didn't know what to feel. She didn't know what to do. She felt like she didn't know herself any longer. There was always this circuit in her brain that she couldn't seem to shut off.

Jaimie-mae shakily pulled out her phone and dialed Fabian's number which came easily to her now.

"Hello?" Fabian answered. "You called again Jaimie?"

"Yes."

He sighed quietly. "My phone bill is gonna be sky high this month."

She winced. "I'm sorry. I was just making sure you were okay."

"Thanks Jaimie-baby. But you don't need to worry. I'm fine everytime that you call, okay."

"Yeah. Yup. Of course. You're okay. You're fine." She paused and tried to absorb the fact that he was perfectly fine. "Your ribs aren't hurting right? Because i can come by later and help you ice them."

Fabian chuckled. "I can ice them myself. But... i do still want you to come over. Mason does too."

Jaimie-mae's eyes lit up. "Okay. Um, is your mom back yet."

Jaimie-mae could practically hear his frown from over the phone. "N-no. Jaimie, i'm worried about her. And also we need her to come back, Dad can hardly function without her, but his friggen man prides too big and he doesn't wanna call and apologize like a real man would."

"Oh, i'm sorry. How's the dinners been?"

"Mason and me have almost burnt down the whole kitchen two times already. And i'm tired of takeout. Maybe you can, you know..." he trailed off as his voice got higher.

"Maybe we can cook something together when i get there," she said with a small laugh.

"Oh thank goodness," he said quietly to himself.

Jaimie-mae heard a crack and then an 'ouch'.

"Fabian? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Um... i got a little excited and hit the desk in front of me."

Jaimie-mae immediately burst into a fit of giggles and had to stop herself so that her classmates wouldn't look at her like she was insane.

"Jaimie when you get here, you need to kiss my bruise and make it better. And maybe a few other places," he hinted hopefully.

Jaimie-mae immediately ducked her head so Kano wouldn't notice her sudden blushing.

"Faby, you know we aren't allowed to do that yet."

He groaned. "I can't believe this. Give me some slack, it's only a month and halves difference."

"We made a deal with your parents. This is better than nothing."

"Yeah. Your right. Having you is better than literally everything."

Jaimie-mae's heart seemed like it would just grow wings and flap away. That's how much it was fluttering.

"Stoppp. Your gonna make me develop a heart mumur or something."

Fabian chuckled a raspy chuckle. "Sorry. So, you are gonna cook when you come here this afternoon right?"

"Yes. I'm beginning to think my cooking is the only reason you want me to come over."

"I promise you it's not. I wanna play mario kart against you again. Eat your food. Draw. Talk with you. Kiss your neck." He said the last part through a fake cough. "Eat some more of your delicious cooking. Kiss your neck some more. You know... the usual."

Jaimie-mae laughed quietly. "Okay. Well i'll see you then."

"Wait... so you aren't gonna argue with me about me kissing your neck when you get here."

"I'm not gonna let you. But we can do all the other stuff."

He groaned. "Fine i'll take it."